BCATML wrote to the Ministry of Education on May 31, 2017 requesting a review of the graduation requirements and Language Education Policy surrounding the studying of second languages beyond Grade 8.

Many countries and jurisdictions around the world require high school students to study more than one second language with resounding success. The same can be true for BC students.

In its letter, BCATML claims that changing the current Language Education Policy to make the studying of a second language mandatory to the Grade 11 level would foster and embrace many principles and philosophies found within all nine of BC's second language curricula. The cognitive, academic, economic, societal and intercultural benefits to learning an additional second language would support the ideology of the Educated Citizen found throughout all of BC's redesigned curricula. The letter cites recent research presented by Mary G. O'Brien in the newly published Executive Summary Literature Review on the Impact of Second-Language Learning.

​BCATML will update this post with a response from the Ministry of Education. The full contents of the letter sent can be seen to the right as well as downloaded freely.